Shakespeare's Authentic Performance Texts

There is an assumption that when we reach for a copy of a Shakespeare play what we have in our hands is a record of his writing. It isn't. Present day printings are an Editor's (often subjective) version of the script. Around 25% of any Shakespeare play will have been altered by modern Editors and t [...]
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There is an assumption that when we reach for a copy of a Shakespeare play what we have in our hands is a record of his writing. It isn't. Present day printings are an Editor's (often subjective) version of the script. Around 25% of any Shakespeare play will have been altered by modern Editors and this creates an enormous amount of confusion. The only authentic edition of Shakespeare's works is the First Folio , published by his friends and colleagues in 1623. Graham Watts makes the case for staging and printing the plays as set in the Folio . This edition preserved acting indicators that helped Shakespeare's Players to understand and perform a role. As well as a critique on the practices of modern Editors, Watts includes sections on analyzing and acting the text, how a complex character can be created by using the First Folio , a director's approach to rehearsing a Shakespeare play with various exercises useful for both professional and student actors, and a conclusion where all of the findings are applied to one play.